THE RAIN REFUSED TO STOP.SFX: RAAAAIN POUNDING RELENTLESSLY, THUNDER RUMBLING IN THE DISTANCE
IT POURED FROM THE HEAVENS AS IF THE SKY ITSELF HAD DECIDED TO WEEP FOR HIM, EACH DROP STRIKING THE EARTH LIKE A CRUEL REMINDER OF HIS PAIN.
SIYUN STUMBLED THROUGH THE SCHOOL GATES, HIS BODY TREMBLING WITH EVERY STEP. BRUISES BLOOMED ACROSS HIS SKIN, DARK AND PURPLE, MARKS OF HUMILIATION THAT BURNED DEEPER THAN FLESH. HIS SHIRT CLUNG TO HIM LIKE A SECOND SKIN, SOAKED COMPLETELY, RAIN MIXING WITH BLOOD AS IT SLID DOWN HIS TEMPLE AND DRIPPED FROM HIS CHIN.
SFX: SQUELCH OF SHOES ON WET GROUND, HIS LABORED BREATHING
HIS LEGS FELT LIKE LEAD, HEAVY, UNWILLING. YET HIS MIND — HIS MIND WAS A CHAOTIC STORM.
HANA'S WORDS STILL ECHOED IN HIS SKULL LIKE A CURSED INCANTATION."WHY… WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ADMIT IT, SIYUN? STOP LYING! IT'S DISGUSTING!"
HER VOICE, TREMBLING YET SHARP, HER HORRIFIED EYES — THEY CUT DEEPER THAN ANY FIST. HER EXPRESSION WASN'T JUST FEAR, IT WAS SOMETHING WORSE. DISGUST. BETRAYAL.
AND ALONGSIDE HER VOICE, THE MEMORY OF THAT SMIRK.THE WOLF'S VICIOUS SMIRK.SFX: LOW, MOCKING CHUCKLE RESONATING IN HIS MEMORY
HIS CLASSMATES' LAUGHTER ECHOED, TAUNTING, A MERCILESS CROWD.HIS TEACHERS' DISAPPOINTMENT, HEAVY AND COLD, CRUSHED HIM.
EVERYTHING REPLAYED AGAIN AND AGAIN, A CRUEL THEATER HIS MIND COULD NOT ESCAPE.
"WHY ME…? WHY ALWAYS ME?" HIS VOICE CRACKED, A MURMUR TO THE EMPTY STREET. HE STAGGERED FORWARD, RAIN SPLASHING AGAINST HIS FACE. "HAVEN'T I DONE ENOUGH? HAVEN'T I GIVEN ENOUGH?"
HIS MIND, BETRAYING HIM, DRAGGED HIM INTO FLASHBACKS.MEMORIES.
THE TIME HE LENT MONEY TO A CLASSMATE WHO PROMISED TO PAY BACK BUT NEVER DID.THE COUNTLESS NIGHTS HE HELPED OTHERS WITH HOMEWORK, ONLY TO BE IGNORED LATER.THE DAY HE COVERED FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S MISTAKE, TAKING THE BLAME SO THEY WOULDN'T SUFFER.
EVERY SACRIFICE, EVERY SMALL KINDNESS, UNNOTICED. MOCKED NOW BY CRUEL IRONY.
THEY NEVER CARED.NOT HANA.NOT HIS CLASSMATES.NOT HIS TEACHERS.NO ONE.
EXCEPT… MINJI.
HIS LITTLE SISTER.
THE THOUGHT OF HER PUSHED HIS LEGS FORWARD, DRAGGING HIS BROKEN BODY DOWN THE EMPTY STREET. HIS VISION BLURRED, RAIN AND TEARS INTERMINGLING, UNTIL FINALLY, THE FAMILIAR OUTLINE OF HIS HOUSE APPEARED.
THE FRONT DOOR SLID OPEN BEFORE HE COULD EVEN REACH IT.
MINJI STOOD THERE.HER EYES WENT WIDE WITH HORROR.
"ONII-CHAN!" HER VOICE PIERCED THE DOWNPOUR, PANIC AND DESPERATION ENTWINED.
SHE RUSHED TO HIM, HER HANDS GRABBING HIS ARM, SUPPORTING HIS SWAYING BODY."WHAT HAPPENED? YOU'RE HURT — YOU'RE BLEEDING!"
SIYUN FLINCHED AT HER TOUCH, HIS BODY TENSE, HIS LIPS TREMBLING AS IF STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN THE THOUSAND WORDS INSIDE HIM. BUT THE WORDS WOULD NOT COME. HOW COULD HE TELL HER? HOW COULD HE EXPLAIN THE DEPTH OF HIS HUMILIATION, THE WEIGHT OF HIS SHAME?
"I'M FINE…" HE RASPED, HIS VOICE BROKEN, UNSTABLE, LIKE GLASS ABOUT TO SHATTER. "JUST… LEAVE ME ALONE."
MINJI'S GRIP TIGHTENED, REFUSING TO LET GO."NO! TELL ME WHO DID THIS! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" HER VOICE CRACKED. TEARS FILLED HER EYES. "YOU CAN'T KEEP EVERYTHING INSIDE, ONII-CHAN! PLEASE, LET ME IN!"
BUT HIS PAIN, HIS RAGE, HIS DESPAIR — IT OVERTOOK HIM.
WITH A ROUGH SHOVE, HE PUSHED PAST HER.
SFX: DOOR SLAM ECHOING THROUGH THE HOUSE
"SIYUN—!!" HER SCREAM RANG OUT, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
HE SHUT HIMSELF INSIDE HIS ROOM. THE DOOR TREMBLED UNDER THE FORCE.
MINJI STOOD FROZEN IN THE HALLWAY, HER SMALL HANDS SHAKING, TEARS STREAMING DOWN HER FACE. SHE PRESSED HER FOREHEAD AGAINST THE WOODEN DOOR, HER WHISPERS DROWNED BY THE SOUND OF RAIN."PLEASE… DON'T SHUT ME OUT…"
INSIDE, SIYUN SLUMPED TO THE FLOOR, HIS BACK AGAINST THE DOOR, HIS CHEST HEAVING LIKE A MAN ON THE EDGE OF DROWNING. HIS HANDS GRIPPED HIS HEAD, FINGERS DIGGING INTO HIS SCALP UNTIL HIS SKIN STUNG.
THE WORLD WAS SILENT NOW — SILENT EXCEPT FOR THE RELENTLESS POUNDING OF THE RAIN AGAINST THE ROOF.
AND IN THAT SILENCE, MEMORIES RETURNED. HANA'S FACE, HER HORROR, HER WORDS.
"DISGUSTING."
THE WORD CUT THROUGH HIS SOUL LIKE A BLADE.
HIS HEART, ALREADY FRAGILE, CRACKED FURTHER.
"…HANA…" HIS VOICE WAS HOARSE, UNRECOGNIZABLE. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE ME…"
BUT THERE WAS NO ONE.
ONLY THE RAIN.
AND THEN, SOMETHING INSIDE HIM SNAPPED.
SFX: LOW, RISING HEARTBEAT SOUND
DARKNESS, COLD AND MERCILESS, COILED WITHIN HIS CHEST. IT SPREAD THROUGH HIS VEINS LIKE POISON, CHOKING THE LAST REMNANTS OF LIGHT.
"…IF NO ONE WILL STAND BY ME…" HIS LIPS CURLED INTO A TWISTED SMILE, SHAKY, FILLED WITH PAIN AND FURY. "…THEN I'LL STAND ALONE."
HIS EYES, ONCE SOFT AND TIMID, NOW BURNED WITH A HOLLOW FLAME.
"…I'LL MAKE THEM REGRET IT. ALL OF THEM."
SFX: DISTANT THUNDER CRACKING LOUDLY
THE ROOM FELL INTO DEAD SILENCE. THE ONLY WITNESS TO THIS TRANSFORMATION WAS THE STORM ITSELF.
THE SIYUN WHO ONCE LAUGHED, WHO ONCE BELIEVED IN KINDNESS, WHO ONCE SACRIFICED HIS OWN HAPPINESS FOR OTHERS…
…WAS DEAD.
IN HIS PLACE, SOMETHING ELSE AROSE.
A HOLLOW SHADOW. A BROKEN BOY WHO FINALLY EMBRACED THE DARKNESS THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN CLAWING AT HIS HEART.
HE GLANCED AT HIS DESK. THERE, THE SMALL CHARM MINJI HAD GIVEN HIM — NOW SOAKED AND STAINED FROM HIS POCKET. IT RESTED USELESSLY, MOCKING HIM WITH ITS PROMISE OF PROTECTION.
HE PICKED IT UP, HIS FINGERS TREMBLING, AND LAUGHED.
SFX: LOW, BROKEN LAUGHTER ECHOING"HEH… HA… HAHAHA…"
THE SOUND WASN'T JOY. IT WAS PAIN. IT WAS HOLLOW. IT WAS THE BIRTH OF SOMETHING TERRIFYING.
AND AS THE RAIN CONTINUED TO FALL, AS THE WORLD OUTSIDE REMAINED UNAWARE OF THE CHANGE WITHIN THIS ROOM, ONE THING BECAME CERTAIN:
THE DOOR BETWEEN HIM AND THE WORLD WAS CLOSED.
AND IT WOULD NEVER OPEN THE SAME WAY AGAIN.