Yunji (3)
* * *
The apartment hallways stretched out before Yunji, a surreal blur of white and red as she ran toward her family's apartment.
Her mind was consumed by a single, driving thought: she had to find her family. They had to be okay. They must be, right?
With shaking hands, Yunji fumbled at the door of her apartment. The lock turned with a reluctant click, and she pushed the door open.
The sight inside was horrifying. The living room was a scene of brutal carnage—blood splattered across the walls and floor, mingling with the snow that had blown in through broken windows.
Her parents lay lifeless on the floor, their bodies pale and unmoving.
At first, Yunji felt nothing. No shock, no grief. The sight before her seemed unreal, like a nightmare from which she would awaken.
She stood frozen, her mind numb, staring at the gruesome scene. Time lost all meaning; she didn't know how long she stood there, feeling as though she was suspended in a void, disconnected from the reality around her.
The silence was abruptly shattered by Erebus's urgent voice. "Yunji..."
The words cut through her fog of detachment, pulling her back to the present. A new, desperate thought emerged—her brother. He might still be alive.
With renewed hope, Yunji walked up to her brother's room.
The door opened, and her heart sank as she saw his small, lifeless body on the bed. The sight was devastating.
The reality of her family's fate hit her with brutal finality, overwhelming her with a flood of grief and anguish.
A hand on her shoulder made her start.
She turned to see Erebus standing behind her, his face etched with concern. The sight of him was a jarring contrast to the horror surrounding her.
Her mind drifted back to a time long before this nightmare.
Erebus had come into her life when she was just a child. His parents had been friends with hers, and after a tragic accident took them away, Erebus had been left alone.
In his grief, he had moved in with Yunji's family, and in time, he had become like a family to her.
They had shared countless memories, laughter, and sorrow. His presence had been a constant source of support.
"Yunji," Erebus said softly, "we have to get out of here."
His voice, usually firm and commanding, was gentle, filled with an empathy that was strangely comforting.
As Yunji looked up at him, an intense realization gripped her.
Erebus was alive. Amid the devastation, he was a constant.
In the midst of the wreckage, Yunji's mind twisted reality to fit her fractured state.
As Erebus was alive and by her side, she could be happy. Right?
Her gaze locked onto his, and a profound, almost obsessive need for him took hold.
The realization that as long as Erebus was with her, she could endure the madness of the world became all-consuming. Her focus shifted entirely to him, her one remaining anchor in the chaos.
As Yunji descended the apartment stairs, her heart was pounding and she felt nothing. Even when enemies attacked them, she felt nothing. She knew Erebus was there to protect her.
However they neared the exit, her focus was momentarily pulled away by a jarring sight: Erebus had carried Elena in his arms.
The image struck Yunji like a physical blow. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of Elena—her body limp and pale—being held so close to Erebus.
The visual of Elena nestled against him, her vulnerability on full display, twisted something dark inside Yunji. The warmth and care Erebus showed Elena ignited an unfamiliar, vicious feeling within her.
Yunji's eyes narrowed, her chest tightening with a surge of pure, unadulterated jealousy.
It wasn't just a twinge of envy—it was a searing, bitter emotion that clawed at her insides. Seeing Erebus's attention diverted, even for a moment, to someone else was like a knife twisting in her heart.
It felt like a personal betrayal, a violation of the exclusive bond she believed was hers alone.
Her thoughts raced, clouded by a dark haze.
Elena... how dare she come between them?
Yunji's mind replayed every moment she had spent with Erebus, every shared secret and every word of comfort.
To see Elena—of all people—receiving such intimate care from Erebus felt like a stark affront to their relationship, a cruel mockery of the bond Yunji thought was unbreakable.
Elena was an outsider, a mere addition to the chaos that had upended Yunji's world.
Yet here she was, in Erebus's arms, seemingly claiming a place that Yunji felt was rightfully hers. The sight of Elena's flushed face, her vulnerable position, and the way Erebus's attention was so completely absorbed by her was unbearable.
It was as if Elena was a symbol of everything Yunji feared losing—everything she had once thought was hers and hers alone.
Yunji's heart pounded with a rage that was almost primal.
The intensity of her feelings was frightening, an all-consuming darkness that threatened to overwhelm her rational mind.
How could Erebus allow this to happen? How could he be so careless, so indifferent to the way Yunji felt?
Every step toward the exit was filled with a growing sense of betrayal.
Yunji clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to rein in the tempest of emotions roiling within her.
The sight of Elena, so dependent on Erebus, became a symbol of Yunji's own sense of inadequacy and fear. It was as if her entire world was crumbling under the weight of this unexpected intrusion.
In that moment, the line between friendship and obsession blurred for Yunji.
The presence of Elena—so close to Erebus—solidified her resolve.
She would do whatever it took to ensure that Erebus remained hers alone, even if it meant confronting the darkest corners of her own soul.
* * *
I was momentarily stunned by Yunji's expression.
The raw intensity in her eyes was something I'd never seen before. It sent a shiver down my spine.
"Let's get out of here before other enemies come!" I shouted, turning on my heel and making my way down to the bottom floor.
I could hear Yunji following behind me, her footsteps echoing in the narrow stairwell. I had to focus. The situation was dire, and every second counted.
As we descended, I couldn't shake the troubling image of Yunji's face. That expression—so unlike anything I'd seen from her before—had unsettled me.
But there was no time for contemplation. My mind was already racing with plans to escape and evade whatever threats lay ahead. I pushed the thought aside. There could be countless enemies converging on our location, and we had to move quickly.
Just as we reached the bottom floor, a sharp pain suddenly pierced my leg. I looked down, my heart sinking as I saw an arrow embedded in my thigh.
"Fu—" I managed to utter before the pain forced me to collapse. The ground rushed up to meet me, and I fell hard, the arrow throbbing with every beat of my heart.
Elena tumbled from my arms, landing beside me. She groaned, clearly in pain, and struggled to get up.
"Fuck!" I screamed, trying to push myself up despite the agony in my leg.
Suddenly, three men burst through the doorway from outside, their faces grim and resolute.
They grabbed me by the arms, roughly pulling me toward the exit. I struggled against their grip, but the pain in my leg and the weight of exhaustion made it difficult to fight back effectively.
Elena was also grabbed by the men and dragged along with me, her struggles mirroring mine.
I looked ahead, my vision blurring from the pain and cold. The snow outside was a harsh white, and I could barely make out the figures waiting for us.
My eyes widened as I saw the crowd of people, hundreds, all geared up, gathered in the snow, their faces cold and impassive.
At the front of the group stood a man wearing a Viking-type helmet and a large black fur coat.
His smirk was chillingly confident, and his eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction. It was clear that he was the king, and he was watching us with an almost predatory interest.
The crowd of people behind him was a daunting sight. They were armed with a variety of weapons—swords, hammers, knives, and some even had guns.
The sheer number of them made it clear.
We were fucked