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"Hyuna!"
Hyuna reached out her hand as she tried to reach Luka before Soran pulled the trigger, blood spilled from her side as she staggered. It hurt to walk.
Luka opened his arms as he neared her. He didn't hear the gunshot.
Or see the blood.
Or feel the pain.
All he saw was Hyuna.
All he felt was the feeling of the first time she smiled at him.
Pure unadulterated ecstasy.
At least until he felt something warm and metallic in his mouth.
Until he coughed up vivid crimson.
Until he realized it wasn't just his hands that were cold.
"Hyuna..?"
_
And then she was too late, again.
"Hyuna, I'm scared."
It's okay, Luka, don't worry, I'm here.
"Hyuna, you'll stay with me.. right?"
Of course, I'll stay here until you fall asleep, okay?
"Hyuna. I don't want to die."
You're not dying, Luka. You're just going to sleep. You'll wake up soon.
"Hyuna, will you be there when I wake up?"
Of course I will.
Fear rushed through his veins. What if she wasn't?
Shh, it's gonna be okay Luka, want me to sing you a song?
"Yeah.."
Okay,
As she sang, Luka felt himself drifting off to sleep. He could feel how little drops of moisture fell onto his face.
Her face was the last thing he saw.
Her voice was the last one he heard.
Luka..?
_
She felt rather than see her tears drop onto his face.
She thought she would reach him in time.
She could still hear the gunshot.
She could still smell the gunpowder and the disgusting metallic smell of blood.
She could still remember how Luka's too warm body became as cold as his hands.
She could still feel the warm liquid standing her hands. It was under her fingernails, in the grooves of her palm.
It wasn't her blood.
It was her fault.
She still remembered how luka's face paled with panic when he first coughed up red.
She could still remember how his eyes had been shining even as they dulled.
It made no sense.
Yet it sorta did.
_
"Luka..? What're you doing here?"
"..Hyunwoo?"
_
"Hyuna," someone's voice called for her, yet it drifted off into the distance.
She couldn't hear anything other than her heart pounding in her ears.
Luka was going to get shot.
_
She was too late.
_
She could still vaguely remember how Hyunwoo and Luka's laughter bubbling in the air.
It always rang somewhere in the distance. It always appeared during her worst and best moments.
She could never really differentiate their voices when it happened.
But now she could.
And now she couldn't.
For now, it was their cries forever embedded within her mind.
And forever will they ask her,
"Why aren't you here?"
For while humanity was finally free, Hyuna would never be.
_
In heaven's embrace shall the pair wait, for her to finally be free.
And when she arrives, well, what joyous times!
For she would then break free from the shackles binding her down, forever free as she runs down green hills of nostalgia.
__
A figure set a red flower on a moss ridden grave, a place forgotten by time.
"Goodnight, Hyuna."
__
And somewhere,
A wine bottle clinked, laughter echoed, two hands entwined.
She was free.