Vengeance

Chapter: 28 Memories replay

Third person's perspective

The soft, golden tendrils of sunlight crept stealthily through the small gap between the heavy curtains, casting a warm glow across the room that had been shrouded in darkness throughout the night. The dim light painted the walls in muted hues, illuminating the stillness that enveloped the room like a heavy blanket.

The silence was palpable, broken only by the soft, rhythmic breathing of those who had succumbed to exhaustion after a long vigil by So Hee's bedside. Their bodies lay sprawled in awkward positions on chairs and makeshift beds, their faces etched with weariness as they surrendered to the pull of sleep.

So Hee's room was a study in contrast - while the sun bathed the room in its gentle light, the atmosphere remained heavy with tension and worry. It had been a full 24 hours since So Hee had slipped into unconsciousness, her form lying still on the bed as if in a deep slumber. But beneath the surface, unseen by those who slept soundly around her, subtle changes were taking place.

Her breathing, once steady and slow, had now quickened, each inhalation and exhalation coming in shallow bursts. Her hands, previously limp at her sides, now clenched the bedsheets tightly, fingers curling into fists as if grasping for something just out of reach. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, despite the chill in the air, tracing a path down her pale skin like tiny rivers of emotion.

But amidst the hushed whispers of sleep, these signs went unnoticed, lost in the stillness of the room. It was only when So Hee broke out of her unconscious state and started crying out for help, that everyone present in the room snapped out of their small nap, along with the fast beeping medical machine noises. "Help! Someone, please help!" she cried out, her voice a raw plea for salvation as she reached out blindly into the void.

Panic surged like a tidal wave throughout her body, her senses becoming overwhelmed by suffocating darkness, choking the air from her lungs and squeezing her heart in a vise-like grip. Her vision blurred with tears as she gasped for breath, the weight of her fear pressing down upon her like a leaden blanket. Frantic thoughts raced through her mind, each one more terrifying than the last as she grappled with the overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume her whole. Images flashed before her eyes like fragments of a nightmare, each one a twisted reflection of her deepest fears.

And then, just when she thought she could bear it no longer, she saw it, she saw the mark that she had been carrying in memories for a very long time, but hidden beneath the layers of her recent merry ones. The same haunting mark resurfacing sent her into a state of paralyzing terror, her breath catching in her throat as the memories flooded back with a vengeance. It seemed to mock her, to taunt her with its twisted familiarity, sending her spiraling deeper into the abyss of her own mind. It was as if time had folded in on itself, transporting her back to that fateful night when everything had changed.

"Soo Hee, it's okay! You're safe, we're here with you," KK's voice broke through the fog of her panic, his words a lifeline in the darkness. "Just focus on my voice, okay? You're not alone."

But So Hee's cries only grew louder, her terror too overwhelming to be quelled by mere words. She thrashed against the constraints of her bed, her movements wild and erratic as she fought against the invisible demons that plagued her. PP's heart ached as she watched So Hee's distress escalate, her friend's cries tearing at her soul, so she stopped the nurse from sedating So Hee, and without hesitation, she rushed to So Hee's side, wrapping her arms around her trembling form in a tight embrace. With gentle hands, PP stroked So Hee's hair, her touch a soothing caress against the turmoil raging within.

As tears streamed down So Hee's cheeks, PP began to softly sing a lullaby, her voice a gentle melody that cut through the chaos like a beacon of hope. The words flowed from her lips with a tender sweetness, each note carrying a promise of comfort and solace.