Hotel del Luna

Chapter 36:Demised

A train ride later, they were crossing the grand lobby of the Hotel del Luna. In the elevator up to the 99th floor, Hinowa watched Y/N worriedly.

"Will you be okay, Y/N?"

The elevator stopped at floor 78, where Hinowa was meant to get off. Y/N tried her best to smile, "I'm fine, Hinowa. Get some sleep, okay?"

At her words, Hinowa reluctantly got off the elevator, and the doors closed on her concerned expression. The image stayed with Y/N until they opened again on the 99th floor.

Y/N walked down the familiar hallway and stopped by the double doors to Nayeon's office.

Involuntarily, she thought back to how Nayeon had looked at her, as if Nayeon despised her with every fibre of her being.

For the first time, Y/N felt something like fear thrumming through her at the possibility of what would greet her on the other side of Nayeon's office doors.

Y/N took a deep breath and entered the room.

Nayeon was standing by the closed doors of the balcony behind her desk that overlooked the forest at the back of the hotel and the tunnel entrance to the Sanzu River.

Nayeon had one hand on the glass pane of the left door, her finger lined up with the crescent moon in the sky.

"Nayeon?" Y/N asked lowly.

For a long moment, Nayeon said nothing.

"You said you were sure." Nayeon spoke eventually.

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, "About what?"

Nayeon's hand balled into a fist on the glass. She spun around and threw the Soju bottle. It splintered against the wall with an almighty crash, glass scattered on the floor.

Y/N's mouth fell open at the action. Nayeon stormed up to her and grabbed her by the collar.

"I trusted you!" Nayeon snarled viciously, her chest rising up and down from the heavy breath, "I wanted to believe you Y/N, so I did!"

Y/N struggled in her grip, "What the fuck do you want me to say? I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Housen-"

Nayeon pushed her backwards until Y/N's back slammed against a wall making her groan in pain.

"Drop the fucking act!" Nayeon yelled, her cheeks are tinted with red, "Tell me the truth!"

Y/N realised Nayeon wasn't talking about Housen, and stunned, Y/N found she couldn't reply.

Nayeon shook her by the collar, her eyes manic and pleading, "Tell me it isn't true Y/N!"

Y/N felt tears gather in her eyes. There was a terrible, unexplainable pain swelling in her chest, and once again, she recalled the feeling of drowning,

"Nayeon..." Y/N whispered and Nayeon faltered, Y/N blinked her eyes to stop her tears from falling, "...I don't know what you're talking about."

Nayeon's expression shut down. Her eyes were cold with hate as she harshly let Y/N go, "Get out." she whispered

Y/N wiped away her sudden tears of frustration, "What's wrong with you? I don't know what's happening! I won't go until you explain, you stupid brat!"

Nayeon abruptly raised her hand. For a brief moment, Y/N thought she was going to hit her, but Nayeon only pressed her thumb in the space between Y/N's eyebrows, pushing hard until she had backed into the wall again.

Blinding light blazed from Nayeon's touch and filled Y/N's eyes.

Nayeon's face came threateningly close. Y/N was reminded of the day she'd first met her.

Happy Birthday, Y/N, Nayeon had whispered back then with a smile.

"I said get the fuck out," Nayeon snarled, "And don't ever come back."

There was a final blaze of light and suddenly, Nayeon was gone. The office had disappeared around Y/N, and she was standing in the empty courtyard outside the hotel.

"Nayeon!" Y/N shouted, expecting to run into the reception area.

Instead, a dusty and abandoned building greeted her on the other side, the true interior of the empty and desolate courtyard building.

The hotel was gone.