POV: Leith
Liyn leaned against me, her body trembling slightly. I could feel her tears wet my chest—warm, but also painful.
A few moments later, she looked up. She stared at me with sad, exhausted eyes. That gaze... seemed to speak without words. And for some reason, when I saw her like that, something inside me was shaken.
I don't know what happened in her past. But one thing was clear to me:
I couldn't leave her. Not now. Not after seeing her like this.
Liyn moved her lips, as if wanting to say something. But I couldn't make out anything. As I leaned in to hear more clearly, her body suddenly went limp.
She had lost consciousness.
Without thinking, I took off the jacket I was wearing and wrapped it around Liyn's body before carrying her in my arms. Her body felt light—too light. That made me even more worried.
Fortunately, the garden wasn't too far from the dormitory. But before leaving, I took the time to tidy up her belongings and make sure nothing was left behind… or that no one saw us.
The corridor leading to the dormitory was so quiet, only the echo of my footsteps could be heard.
Upon reaching Liyn's room, I paused. Honestly, I was still hesitant to enter. After all… she was my student. And even though this wasn't the first time I'd been in her room, there were still boundaries that should be maintained.
But when I looked at her face again—pale, tired, and fragile—the hesitation slowly faded away.
Once again, I found her door unlocked.
Slowly, I opened the door and entered carefully, making sure Liyn's body didn't bump into anything. After laying her on the bed, I took off her shoes and covered her with the thin blanket at the end of the bed.
Unlike before, this time I didn't want to leave.
For some reason, there was a strong urge within me—not just to make sure she was okay… but to make sure she would wake up again.
I placed her bag in the corner of the room and began tidying up the entire space. Though I had been here just yesterday, the room already looked messy again.
I pulled a chair from her desk, placed it beside the bed, and sat there. My right hand reached out, gently stroking her hair.
But soon, her eyes began to twitch, even though they were still closed. As if she were struggling in a suffocating nightmare.
"What are you dreaming about, Liyn…?" I murmured softly, then held her hand.
When I touched her forehead, I was startled.
It was hot.
"Does she have a fever?"
I quickly stood up, went to get cold water and a clean handkerchief. I gently wiped her forehead, hoping her body temperature would drop soon.
But a sense of suffocation began to creep into my chest.
Seeing her lying there so weakly… it made me truly panic.
Liyn's POV
"Mother… please, don't leave Liyn alone. Liyn is scared…"
I kept screaming in front of Mother's body, which would be buried the next morning. That night was truly terrible—the storm raged since evening, heavy rain drenched the ground without cease, and lightning struck the sky as if mourning too.
I was alone in the house.
In the dark room lit only by the old lantern left by Father.
And, as usual… Father was nowhere to be found.
He had always left. Leaving me and Mother at home without any certainty of when he would return. Even now—at Mother's final moment—he was still absent.
He chose war. Risking his life for others in what he called a noble mission.
But… what's the point of all that, if the family he left behind is shattered?
My thoughts scattered instantly. The air felt thick, cold creeping slowly into my bones.
There was something out there.
Something… watching.
From behind the door submerged in the shadows of the night, I could feel that gaze—cold, deep, and sharp, as if piercing into my mind. When lightning struck the sky and light slipped through the window, I saw it.
A silhouette.
Someone with long hair, a straight posture…
I swallowed hard, my body trembling. Reflexively, I turned around and embraced my mother's cold, stiff body.
Hugging her as if she could still protect me.
"There's no one here… everything will be okay… everything will be okay…"
I kept repeating that to myself. Deceiving myself. But that hope was shattered when I heard the sound of a door slowly sliding open… a long creak… as if time had slowed down to torment me longer.
Then, a familiar voice was heard.
"Liyn… Dad's home."
For a moment, my heart wanted to believe. I wanted to believe it was really Dad.
Slowly, I lowered Mom's hand back to its original position. I bit my lip, holding back the pounding of my heart. Slowly, I opened my eyes…
…and my entire body froze.
It wasn't Dad. No.
Standing at the doorway was a towering figure—over two meters tall. His white hair hung long, like wet threads. His clothes were neat, too neat, like a relic from a past that refused to die. His black coat swept the floor, and each silent step made the air in the room grow colder.
And when the lightning struck again—
—his face was revealed.
A face that shouldn't belong to a human.
Sharp eyes stared at me without blinking, thin lips tightly closed yet seeming to curve into a sly smile. His skin… grayish-white, pale and lifeless. Dark lines ran down his neck and under his eyes, like flesh beginning to rot… or not yet fully reborn.
I wanted to scream. But my voice wouldn't come out.
I wanted to move. But my body was paralyzed.
And in silence, it continued to stare at me. It didn't step forward. It didn't speak. It just stood there… as if waiting for the right moment—to take me.
A few seconds later, the figure began to move.
Slowly. Too slowly.
Its steps were calm, almost silent—but each footprint echoed in my head, as if time had slowed down to force me to stare at this fear for longer.
When it finally stopped right in front of me, my body couldn't move. My breath caught. The world seemed to shrink, leaving only the two of us.
Then… it bent down.
His movements were smooth yet oddly unnatural—like a puppet being forced by invisible strings. His face was now level with mine. So close. Too close.
I could smell the faint scent of rotten flesh, like freshly dug grave soil. His eyes were empty, yet they stared at me as if they knew everything I wanted to hide. All my sins. All my fears.
Then, without warning…
Its hand snatched out.
Those long, cold fingers clamped around my throat. Its nails were hard and sharp, like dry bones. The pressure was strong—deadly. My breath was cut off instantly. My eyes widened.
I tried to scream. My voice was choked off.
Then I forced myself with all my strength—screaming in the purest panic, hoping… that the sound would reach someone. Anyone. That maybe… someone would hear it. That I wasn't completely alone.
But the world remained silent. There was only me, him… and the darkness that swallowed everything.