The ti was early in the morning, Soomin usually wakes up around dawn. She liked this quiet ti since it gave her peace of mind and helped her think clearly. She usually sleeps early so she doesn't feel that sleepy when she wakes up around this ti.
After that, she would usually have a shower, change clothes, and then leave for a jog. In the last few months, she started working on her stamina and physical strength a lot more. Her friends were already growing stronger and she didn't want to fall behind.
However, the past few days have been quite rough. Her mind was too occupied to really focus on anything. After all, she was too worried about a particular person. One of her closest friends was going through sothing that she can only describe as 'Self-Destruction'.
She had never seen her in such a state before in her life and she knew the reason for it. After all, everyone else was feeling the sa, to a way lesser degree, but still the sa.
Exiting her small apartnt that she received just recently, the cold wind of the morning hit her face. Looking around her, she admired the scenery. After living here for so long, the destroyed Seoul had sohow beco a familiar sight.
Granted, many buildings were being rebuilt and broken streets were being restored. But, in general, the city still needed a lot of work to return to its previous glory. As she took a step forward to start running, she felt the weight on her shoulders increase.
After the recent events, the world's gravity has increased by leaps and bounds. That was the natural consequence of the size of the earth increasing and it did cause so trouble. But, since most people have already trained their bodies, they could handle it.
As she started jogging, a cloud of smoke would co out of her mouth with each breath. She ran through the empty, quiet streets of Seoul. Her mind was occupied with many things, but her legs simply moved monotonously.
So ti passed and Soomin found herself on the other side of the city. This part was still not fully inhabited by the survivors as it was still in the works. But, it was still safe enough not to worry about a monster appearing out of nowhere.
As she was running, she heard a sound coming from a distance. Stopping in her tracks, she looked around her confusedly.
'What was that?' She asked herself as she cautiously pulled a dagger out of her back pocket. It was a safety weapon she kept with her in case sothing bad happened when her real weapon wasn't with her.
At that mont, she heard the noise again, this ti far clearer. So, with careful steps, she started approaching the noise, expecting it to be so kind of monster. However, as she grew closer to it, she realized that this wasn't the sound of a monster. It was human sounds.
Eventually, the trail led her to a small park in the corner of the street. Peeking from the corner, she saw soone there, holding a sword as they slashed and stabbed with it continuously. Their movents were precise, fluid, and extrely beautiful, like an elegant dance of sorts.
However, that dance was ruined by the aggressive thrusts and stabs, as if the person who was performing this dance couldn't focus much. Their movents were filled with anger, sadness, and endless grief. Even an untrained eye could see it and feel it.
Staring at that person, Soomin gasped. She knew who that was, it was the person she had been thinking about this entire ti.
'Hyun-Jae? Why is she training here all alone?' She asked herself.
It was 4 am, and the sun wasn't even up yet. But, her friend was training in such a dark place with a simple candle next to her to illuminate the park.
As she stared at her confusedly, Hyun-Jae suddenly stopped her movent and turned around.
"Who's there?" She asked with a calm, emotionless tone. There were no feelings in her voice, just re words said monotonously like a robot.
Soomin flinched hearing that but then stepped out of the corner. "It's , Soomin." The girl replied hesitantly as she stepped forward. "What are you doing here so early, Hyun-Jae?"
The girl squinted her eyes for a mont before she turned around and sheathed her blade. "I was training."
"This early? Wh-" Before Soomin could even ask a question, she noticed a few glistening drops of sweat on Hyun-Jae's face from afar. That made her freeze in her place for a mont as she blinked. Then, she asked with a confused look.
"How long have you been training here for?"
Knowing her friend well enough, she knew how monstrous Hyun-Jae's stamina was. To make herself sweat required imnse physical activity over a long period of ti. At least several hours of non-stop training which ant that she had been here for a long ti.
The latter didn't reply imdiately as she picked up the candle. "I was done with work so I ca here to train."
"Done with work? But, you were done around the evening of yesterday… You've been training since then?"
"..." Hyun-Jae didn't reply as she simply walked away.
"Hyun-Jae, wait!" Soomin followed after her friend with a worried look. "I know you're probably fed up with all of this. But, you really can't be living like this. You haven't slept properly in weeks. All you do is work and training, you're destroying your body. You aren't even eating food!"
"Thank you for the advice, but I know my body best."
"No, you don't! Have you even looked at yourself in the mirror?" Soomin clenched her teeth with a frustrated look.
Just a simple glance at Hyun-Jae face was more than enough to tell how her health was deteriorating. Even though she still looked srizingly beautiful, she was now more like a ghost rather than a human. Her expression was pale and she had heavy eyebags under her eyes, not to ntion the dead look she had on her the entire ti.
Soomin was certain of one thing, her friend was falling into a very deep depression. The type of depression that might very much end her life given enough ti. What was even worse was that Hyun-Jae wasn't even acknowledging that or trying to fix it. She simply let herself drown deeper and deeper.
"I am fine. I do not need rest. We have a lot of work to do. Who is going to do it if I don't?" She asked back as she turned around and looked at Soomin dead in the face.
Just a small glance at her friend's eyes made her flinch before she shook her head. "For how long, huh? For how long do you think you can continue on that path? Do you think you're immortal?" She yelled angrily.
She genuinely had enough of her friend being this ignorant. Hyun-Jae was extrely smart but she had that stubborn side of her that didn't easily listen to other people's words even if they made sense. She was the type of person who if she puts her mind into sothing, bad or good, it was hard to make her not do it unless she truly cared about that person's opinion.
It was a really bad side of her.
"I can handle a few days of no sleep if I need to. When I feel like I have to sleep, I will. You don't need to concern yourself with this."
"No! It is my concern! You are one of my best friends! I can't let you self-destruct like this! He would've not been happy to see you turn this wa-"
Before Soomin could even finish her words, Hyun-Jae's aura suddenly exploded. Soomin felt a crushing pressure fall on her shoulders as if she were carrying a huge boulder.
"Don't… Even speak." Then, Hyun-Jae said in a slow, chilling tone. For a second, Soomin could see a terrifying glint in her friend's eyes.
Sothing that she had never seen before in her life. Her mind stopped thinking for a good few monts. During which, Hyun-Jae seed to realize what she had done and shook her head.
"Let's cut this topic here. I do not have ti for pointless debate. I'm leaving." She said as she picked up her sword and started walking away.
With that, Soomin stood there alone in the darkness. Turning around slowly, she saw her friend walking away. The dark aura around her was still there, as visible as day to her. That only made her lips quiver as tears welled up in her eyes.
Putting her hand on her mouth with a shaky movent, she closed her eyes. 'God… I'm really losing her… And I can't do anything about it…'
She understood at that mont that her efforts this entire ti were useless. Her words weren't even reaching her friend, let alone affecting her. This entire ti, she has been talking to no one. Trying to convince soone who didn't even want to listen.
Falling down to the ground, she cried silently. She was feeling completely helpless.
'Talon… Please look over her… She is getting lost.' Looking up, she could only pray for her friend.
The only person that can truly affect her and the only person she would listen to is Talon. If he was here, he could've helped her. No, if he was still here, she would've never fallen into such a state in the first place.
Yet, that person is no longer with them.
A//N: If you enjoyed reading, don't forget to support the book with GT and PS. Thank you!
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