Deus Didymus: Rend

Chapter Forty-Three: Runes & Rooms

Y/n eyed Hayoung's chest as it rose and fell rhythmically. He sighed a heavy sigh-the heaviest of the sighs he'd sighed in his life. The unconscious girl's breathing was ragged and deliberate, but all that mattered was that she breathed.

The frenzy Y/n waded through passed like a storm, leaving him in silence once more. As he calmed down, the aching in his body flared.

What control he had left in his body faded causing him to fall forward and into Hayoung's arms. Her soft skin and warm embrace pulled the boy from their dire situation.

For a moment, Y/n felt himself floating on the clouds he so wished to see. The sun's soft rays coated his body and the gentle winds ran their fingers through his hair. They thanked him for what he had done.

Y/n's eyes fluttered open, yanking the serene scene from underneath him. Instead, Hayoung's weak smile greeted him. The blood trailing down her forehead and the corners of her mouth dried to a dark maroon, telling the boy how much time had passed.

"Are my boobs comfortable?" Hayoung asked, her voice raspy.

Y/n closed his eyes, sighing. "Please don't make this weird," he mumbled.

On the back of his throbbing head, Y/n felt Hayoung's fingers fiddle with his hair. She drew circles on his scalp, sometimes stopping before rubbing his head with her thumb.

"You lied me to earlier," Y/n stared. "You said you'd be fine."

"I didn't want you panicking more than you already where," Hayoung managed through her coarse throat. "I watched you have a panic attack, and you probably had another one while I was out."

Y/n's eyes dropped to Hayoung's skin. The peachy color of her fair skin faded past recognition. "But now both of us are going to die..."

Hayoung flicked the back of Y/n's head, earning a grunt. "You will live. All you need is some rest." She paused, taking a moment to breathe. "Minju ssi is probably looking for you right now, and you'll get out of here in no time."

"I..." Y/n shook his head. "I don't want to leave without you, Noona."

"I know... I know..." She wiped the tears from Y/n's face with a gentle smile. "But, I won't make it. I'm bleeding too much on the inside."

"You said you can heal, right? You could heal yourself!" Y/n reasoned.

"My healing is down right now. Every time I use it, there's a period of downtime where all I can do is wait." Hayoung explained.

Y/n fell silent. He listened to Hayoung's fading heartbeats through her chest with a heavy heart.

"Teach me how to do it."

"If I could, I would," Hayoung chuckled. "You may be a quick learner, but this isn't something you can do. At least not right now."

"What is it? I can learn it if you explain it to me." Y/n pressured.

Hayoung closed her eyes, imagining the stars above. "It's something called an 'incantation'. You recite words after making a deal with a deity. These words allow you to harness some of their power."

"What are the words?" Y/n questioned.

"It's not as simple as that. You need to fulfill something that has to do with the deity in question. To heal, I needed to appease the goddess Hestia." Hayoung grabbed a handful of Y/n's hair, releasing it before grasping it once more. "To do that, I needed to house someone for a certain amount of time; you were that person."

"Why..." Y/n trailed. "Why is this world so cruel...? First Mr. Park, then you... Why...?"

Silence fell before Y/n's sobs. They echoed off the walls and into each other like a chorus of sorrow.