#1029. Have you been there?
* * *
Dark.
Darkness.
darkness death darkness darkness.
Nothing else is visible.
Even if I listen, I can’t hear it.
Even when I open my mouth, no words come out.
So all you can do is watch.
That fight.
That despair.
That destruction.
Clenching my fist until it bleeds, regretting, regretting, regretting until I shed bloody tears.
But it’s already too late.
Because there is nothing more that can be done.
She ended up…
Sreuk.
quietly.
With your eyes open.
I stared into space for a while.
She got up from her prone position and slowly looked back at the documents scattered on the desk.
“You fell asleep again.”
Clothes soaked with sweat.
A face as pale as a sheet of paper.
Even the eyes with slightly dilated pupils.
After not sleeping all night for several days and working without a break, I collapsed and lost consciousness, and when I woke up, I was in too much of a mess.
It was as if she had seen a ghost…
no, she looked like a living ghost.
However, the black-haired girl who was the person involved was neither shaken nor embarrassed by her condition.
He just quietly and calmly organized his sweaty and crumpled documents.
It had to be that way.
He even inherited his close associates.
Neither sleeping nor resting.
Continuing to concentrate on work.
Falling asleep as if fainting from exhaustion.
And waking up in a nightmare.
Because it was something she was already used to.
This is not the story after all the stars have fallen and the world has become peaceful, creating more jobs.
Before the seal of the Seven Arcs was released and the dungeon wave occurred.
Before destroying the World Federation after seeing Ruler’s death.
Before chasing the liberation brigade and competing with other princesses.
…even before I proposed to him.
okay.
It was like that.
It was something really familiar.
A life where you can’t sleep because you’re afraid of having nightmares, and you cling to work as if you’re running away, but you’re always suffering from regret and anxiety.
Nevertheless, there is one reason why it has become unfamiliar now.
Because there was a man.
It’s so reassuring.
It’s infinitely warmer.
More trustworthy than anyone else.
A lover who reassured me from having nightmares just by being by my side and made me forget about the days that were more terrifying than the nightmares.
“….”
Is it because I remembered something I shouldn’t have thought about?
A sudden throbbing pain struck her heart, causing her to stop organizing her papers.
And suddenly it moved.
Squeak.
White hands pushing the wheel.
A wheelchair that moves slowly.
The place she headed after leaving her desk was the veranda.
Whiuuuung!
Maybe it’s because it’s so high-rise.
She slowly turned her head as the strong wind blew in just by opening the door.
And saw.
The Leviathan Hotel, which was almost half-destroyed, was miraculously restored with the help of the Golden Dragon clan and the power of magic.
Hundreds of buildings that sparkle even at night, centered around the building she is in.
…a city full of ruins, thousands of times more dense than that, buried in darkness.
Republic of Goryeo (高麗民國).
Or more accurately, the land that was called that.
But now, in the heart of a country where even the minimum social structure has collapsed, let alone the government, and is under the direct rule of the Seven Dragons.
Li Qingyu quietly looked at the ruins of the ruined country.
Of course she knew.
It is more efficient to conduct business in the intact Black Dragon Palace rather than in a city in the Far East that is nothing but ruins.
Nevertheless, there is one reason why she stays here.
It was because of the traces.
so that.
she recalled.
A date I took the children from orphanage to see the ruins of an amusement park that had just been completed and then collapsed.
The first meeting in an alley where even the shabby building collapsed, leaving only the remains, and the marriage proposal made at his house.
The conversation we had while having a drink and a meal together on the top floor of this very Leviathan.
The betrothal that was close to a contract made with Leviathan at stake, the first kiss mixed with drops of blood, and the
back of him who stormed into the middle of the Seven Dragons Association to protect himself from being persecuted by other princesses.
…the first night with him who restrained her from escaping when she was about to give up her engagement, and the many nights she made love afterward.
So one by one.
Every time I think of memories.
The throbbing pain gradually subsided.
Li Qingyu thought with a grin.
okay. As long as I have memories with him, I’m fine.
Whether it’s a year or two, I can bear it with a smile until he comes back.
So…
Quad Deuk!
But right after that.
The quiet smile falls apart.
Instead, Li Qingyu lifted the hand that had been gripping the wheel of the wheelchair until it was crushed and covered her face.
“…why.”
At first I laughed.
Next, I comforted him.
After that, I endured it.
One day.
On the second day.
Up to ten days.
It could have been so.
But more than a month has passed.
Even though everything was over, the longer he didn’t return, the more difficult it became to feign composure.
Maybe Limon was wrong.
Because just thinking about the possibility made me feel like I was going crazy.
To the point where I want to run away from this pain even if it means tearing out my own heart right now.
“Why aren’t you coming back?”
It was like that.
Ainsha is drying up.
Better than the runaway Catherine.
Than Geomhu and Geomryeong who lost their vitality.
Of all his brides, she was the one having the most difficulty with this situation.
Like a liar, he was just holding on by deceiving himself and everyone that he would definitely come back.
But her too.
No, everyone knew.
That the possibility of Limon being alive is extremely slim.
From the very beginning, when he set out alone to capture those powerful constellations, he was prepared to die.
That’s why she couldn’t help but sob.
“I ended up failing again.”
Protected humanity.
The constellation was defeated.
Peacefully gained hegemony over the world.
It was certainly a phenomenal achievement, enough to be considered a success by some people…
but it was nothing more than that.
It meant nothing to her.
Even if I had to give up everything else, I couldn’t keep what I wanted to achieve and keep what I wanted.
That’s why Li Qingyu regretted it.
“Would it have been better to betray you?”
“Would it have been necessary to trick you, ambush you, tie your limbs, imprison you, and force you to run away with me?”
“Even if it causes humanity to perish and you end up hating and hating me for the rest of your life?”
Hatred and hatred and such.
I could receive as much as I wanted.
She is the Black Dragon Princess of lies and intrigue.
I was used to being doubted and hated by others throughout my life, and I was willing to accept anything if I could save him for that little price.
But…
“…that shouldn’t have happened.”
Because I know it’s a delusion.
Li Qingyu said even more sadly.
“Because you would never have tolerated such an ending.”
I could endure receiving his resentment, but I couldn’t do anything to cause him the same regret and pain that would never go away.
Li Qingyu ended up sobbing alone, covering herself with her nails digging into her arms.
It was something that could not be helped.
This is her own karma.
For the sins she committed.
Because it was a sin that had to be repaid forever and could not be paid.
yes.
That was why.
When it first started.
The reason Li Qingyu didn’t realize it was.
It was such a small and faint change that she, who was immersed in grief, noticed it.
Ugh.
I was shocked.
Li Qingyu, shivering, looked back.
And I was embarrassed.
“…?”
The spacious living room of the penthouse was filled with soft darkness except for the light from the nightstand for reading documents.
The faint light, like fireflies or sparks, dancing in the middle of it all made her unable to hide her bewilderment.
Meanwhile, the light became bigger and clearer as time passed.
borderline
suspicion.
Doubt, etc.
Li Qingyu, who had been watching the unidentifiable light with various emotions, first tried to report the situation.
“…!!!”
While taking out the pager.
Li Qingyu’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t just that I realized that the light resembled dawn only after it became somewhat clearer.
The light, which had been scattered separately at first, gradually gathered in the center and turned into a round hole.
A door made of light.
It was because I saw a figure approaching from the far side.
Because it’s still so far away.
And because it is in the light.
I can’t even see my face properly.
Nevertheless, the silhouette is strangely familiar.
Quadang!
“Huh!”
It was that fault.
I dropped the pager I was holding.
The reason why Li Qingyu was thrown to the floor as a result of trying to move the wheelchair quickly, forgetting that the wheel was broken.
But she didn’t stop.
Let alone getting up.
I’m thinking about using psionics.
Without even thinking about calling someone else.
I just hastily approached the light.
Jiik Jiik.
…Crawling across the floor with only your hands and arms, dragging your motionless legs.
It was so ugly, pathetic, and foolish that it was completely uncharacteristic of her… but
Li Qingyu didn’t care.
It’s as if he’s afraid that if he’s even a little late, the light and the other person beyond the light will disappear.
I just moved and moved and moved with all my might.
“ah…!”
And the result.
In front of the door of light we have reached.
She finally confirmed.
An opponent is approaching from within the Gate of Light, which until now was too far away and cloudy to be seen properly.
Equipped with two swords.
Holding a little blue bird.
With a calm demeanor as always.
Walking out in the light.
I miss you so much and miss you so much.
Rather, the appearance of a man who makes you feel afraid that all of this may be a dream or fantasy.
Sreuk.
But fortunately.
The fear is denied.
Right after coming out of the light.
A very familiar hand naturally picked her up as she fell on the floor.
The warm warmth and intoxicatingly sweet scent that is established through our bodies touching each other.
And…
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
“…!”
That quiet voice.
That faint smile.
All of that.
Because it was telling me that this was not a dream.
Again.
That was why.
The reason she shed tears without realizing it.
It was resentment.
It was a joy.
It was sadness.
With so many emotions intertwined that she couldn’t describe, she shed tears and pursed her lips.
A lament for having finally arrived.
Thank you for coming back like this.
Worried about whether there are any injuries.
I couldn’t decide which one to say, so I opened and closed my mouth like that for a long time.
at last.
Binggrae.
As always.
However, unlike always, his face was full of tears and showed no signs of calm.
“…did you have a good trip?”
To the bride who welcomes her with a watery voice and a smile that clearly shows her honest emotions even though it is badly distorted.
He didn’t bother to answer.
I just gave strength to the arm that was holding her, hugged her deeper, and slightly lowered my head.
So….
Sreuk.
Soft and soft.
Quietly.
Two lips overlap.
As a single teardrop seeps through them, happily and comfortably melting away.
The bride who was waiting.
The groom who left.
welcomed.
